Explosive-engine.



No. 644,004. Patented Feb. 20-, 1900.

J. F. came. EXPLUSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1898.)

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110.. 644,004. Pa tented Feb. 20, 1900.

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EXPLOSIVE. ENGINE.

[Application filed Dec, 24, 1898.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. CRAIG, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 644,004, dated February20, 1900.

Application filed December 24, 1898. $erial No. 700,238. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. CRAIG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of balanced explosive-engines whichembrace two pistons movable toward and from each other in a singlecylinder and connections between said pistons and the oppositely-'disposed cranks of a common main or drive shaft.

It consists in a simple and compact construction especially adapted foruse in boats, motor-wagons, and the like and will be fully understoodfrom thefollowing description and claim when taken in conjunction withthe annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical diametricalsection of my improved engine. taken in a plane at right angles toFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on broken line 3 3 of Fig.2.

In the said drawings similar letters designate corresponding parts inall the views.

My improved engine is vertically disposed and its cylinder A is arrangedupon and connected to a housing B, which is designed in turn to bearranged upon and connected to a suitable bed or frame. (Not shown.) Thecylinder, which is open at its opposite ends and surrounded by the usualwater-jacket a, is provided adjacent to its upper end and atdiametrically-opposite points with longitudinal slots 12. It is alsoprovided at an intermediate point of its length with a port 0, whichconnects its interior with that of a valve-casing C. This valve-casinghas a gasinlet port d and an exhaust-port e and contains valves f g, theformer being arranged to seat toward the port d, so as to control theadmission of gas, and the latter to seat toward the port 6, so as tocontrol the discharge of the products of combustion. The valve f isclosed and kept normally closed by a spring h and is designed to beopened by the suction created in the cylinder incident to the dischargeof the products of combustion. The valve g is opened through the mediumof a cam-tappet g, which is arranged to act against the lower end of itsstem and is mount- Fig. 2 is a similar viewed on a shaft g and connectedby gearing, as shown, with the main or drive shaft of the engine. Saidvalve 9 is closed and kept normally closed by a spring 45, arranged asshown. The gearing intermediate of the shaft 9 and the drive-shaft Dcomprises a gear-wheel g on shaft D, a gear-wheel g on a short shaft 9mounted in the housing 13, a sprocketwheel g, fixed on said shaft 9 asprocketwheel 9 fixed on the shaft 9 and a sprocketbelt 9*, connectingthe wheels g g.

D is the main or drive shaft of the engine, which is journaled insuitable bearings in opposite walls of the housing B and is providedwith outer cranks j, disposed in one direction, and an intermediatecrank 75, disposed in an opposite direction, and E F are the upper andlower pistons, which are arranged to move in the cylinder A. The lowerof these pistons is connected by an interposed pitman Z with theintermediate crank of the shaft D, while the upper piston is fixedlyconnected to a cross-bar G, which extends through and is designed tomove in and be guided against horizontal movement by the slots 1) of thecylinder. The portions of the bar G which extend laterally from thecylinder A are arranged above and in the same vertical planes as tubesH, fixed to and located at opposite sides of the cylinder A. These tubesH are designed to receive and guide movable crossheads I, which areconnected by pitmen J to the outer cranks j of the shaft D and by rods Kto the extended portions of the bar G. The rods K are rigidly connectedto the cross-bar G and cross-heads I, and as a result of the bar G beingarranged in the guide-slots b and the cross-heads in the guide-tubes Hit will be seen that the cross-heads, the cross-bar, and the cylinder Ewill move smoothly in a straight line and will be free from any tendencyto bind. It will also be observed that by reason of the cross-heads Ibeing arranged in the tubes H and said tubes communicating at theirlower ends with the housing the cross-heads and the interior of theguidetubes may be freely lubricated without spilling any lubricantaround the engine, since the drippings of lubricant will fall in thehousing B. The arrangement of the crossheads I in the tubes H is alsoadvantageous, because it removes the liability of the crosshead strikingthe person or catching into the clothing of the attendant or any otherperson standing close to the engine.

The explosion of the gas in the cylinder is effected by any suitablemeans, which I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate, when thepistons E and F are in the position shown in Fig. 2, and it serves toforce said pistons in opposite directions and, through the medium of theconnections described, partially rotate the shaft D. The movements ofthe parts are so timed that when the pistons E F reach the end of theirouter stroke the valve 9 is opened, with the result that the products ofcombustion rush out through the opening 6. Such discharge of theproducts of combustion continues until the pistons again reach theinnermost ends of their strokes. At this time the valve g is closed, andas the pistons recede from the center of the cylinder they create avacuum which operates to unseat the valve f against the actionof springh, when the gases rush in through port (1 and past valvef. This inflowof gas continues incident to the outward movement of the pistons, and atthe completion of such movement the valve f is closed by the pressure ofthe spring h, and on the subsequent inward stroke of the pistons thecharge of gas in the cylinder is compressed until the pistons reach theinner ends of their strokes,when another explosion takes place and theoperation before described is repeated. \Vhen the explosions take place,they force the pistons in opposite directions with the same impulse, andas the pistons have the same area they both carry the same load, and theloads are transferred to the cranks, causing one crank to move towardthe cylinder and the other or others to move away from the same withexactly the same force. This balances the engine and does away with theexcessive vibration so common in explosive-engines.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is The herein-describedexplosive-engine comprising the housing, the upright cylinder, open atboth ends, arranged upon, connected to and communicating directly withthe housing having longitudinal slots at opposite points in its upperportion, the upright guide-tubes located at opposite sides of and fixedto the cylinder and communicating at their lower ends with the housingand having their upper ends open, the shaft j ournaled in suitablebearings in the housing and having cranks, lower and upper pistonsarranged in the cylinder, a pitman connecting the lower piston and onecrank, a cross-bar connected to the upper piston and extending throughthe slots of the cylinder, cross-heads arranged in the guidetubes andrigidly connected with the extended portions of the cross-bar, andpitmen connecting the cross-heads and cranks of the shaft, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- DGSSGS.

JOHN F. CRAIG. Witnesses:

GEORGE WILDS, A. E. HUDSON.

